Connecticut western news., 1887-08-03
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.

A recent computation makes the veloc- ity of the solar system in space only about 10000, ,O00 miles year. By different method another computer has determined the rate to be about 625, 0O0,- 900 miles in year.
 Galvanoplarty is new species of en- balming, by which one Kergsvatz pro- poses to transform our deceased friends into statues of natural size. Zinc, cop per, gold or silver is to be used over a layer of plumbago for finishing touch
 An instance of the value of photo- graphy in detecting the relative motion of stars is given by M. de Gothard Comparison of a recent photograph with measures recorded by Vogel in 1s6769 appears to show that cluster All G. C. contains an eleventh magnitude star which has changed its position relatively to the other stars to the extent of 2.3 seconds year.
 Some time ago, electric lights were placed in front of the treasury and other public buildings in Washington, and curious result has been an extraordinary congregation of spiders webs. These cunning animals have discovered that game, in the form of flies, moths and so on, is very abundant near the electric light, owing to the attraction it has for some insects; and, hence, their webs are in some parts so thick that portions of the architectural ornamentation are no longer visible.
 During the cutting of peat in moss at Vevang, near the town of Christian sund, in the northwest of Norway, the workmen recently dug out a log of oak over twelve feet in length and about four feet in diameter It was found at depth of nine feet The trunk and root of a great oak tree were unearthed in the same moss some years ago, so it is concluded that there was once an oak forest in this spot. The remains of the oak were found below a layer in the bog in which remains of frs are often found.
 A twenty-three foot vein of what promises to be valuable kind of fuel has been discovered at Elsinore, Cal, and it is thought that the whole valley is underlaid with it. It is described by The News of that place as quite soft, and easily worked when Tn the mine, but it gets hard when exposed to the air. It resembles slate somewhat in ap- pearance, although of a somewhat light CT color. It is clean, leaves no marks or stains on the hand, does not slack or crumble in the air, can be split like mica into very thin flores, burns freely, and needs only to be ignited with a match, smells like burning rubber when being consumed, and leaves behind jet black ash resembling lampblack in all it's properties. It is said to be worth $15 per ton for making gas.
 You sometimes sec shells along our shores having hole in their side. This hole IS perfectly round, and is bevellcd or counter-sunk. It seems to have been made artificially, and with great care. How is it to be accounted for2 Another shell, the common cookie, which is found in great numbers all along our shores, has done the mischief. It has a tongue furnished with rows of teeth, giving it resemblance to file. When the little creature is hungry, it finds another shell containing living inhabitant. It at once fastens itself to it, and by means of its teeth-covered tongue commences boring or filing hole, and continues at this employment until it has gotten through the shell to the living inhabi- tant within. This is what it was after. It has found its food, and can now at its leisure make its meal.